Conservation 2011: Forests

Plant holiday in Nepal

The Government of Nepal has declared a
‘plant holiday’ in line with the UN Year of
Forests. This aims to achieve zero forest
encroachment and effective management
of isolated forests over the next three years.
A complete stop to tree felling plus new
protected areas are proposed in the
Churiya range, the southern-most range of
hills in Nepal lying between the plains of
the Terai and the mountain regions of the
Himalayas, comprising more than 28% of
the total area of the Terai Arc Lanscape, or
23,199 km2. The Churiya forests perform a
vital economic and ecological function as
the watersheds for the Terai feeding a rich
habitat for wildlife, and an important source
for recharging ground water that supports
agricultural production and livelihoods of
numerous communities.

Russian province exceeds protected area target

WWF has recognized the actions of
Governor Oleg Kozhemyako of Amurskye
Province in Russia’s far east with a
Gift to the Earth for having reached and
exceeded a target set in 2002 which aimed
to place 10 per cent of the province under
protected area (PA) management. More
than two million ha of new PAs have been
created, taking total PA cover to 11,3 per
cent, and securing priority forests which are
also habitat for 1800 plant species, 320 birds
(including the Japanese crane and white
stork), and 67 mammals, including a unique
migratory population of roe deer – at 40,000
animals the last remaining large population
on Earth. Moreover, following protection of
the last Korean pine and broadleaf forests
Amur tigers are returning to their
former habitat.

Forest conservation advance in DR Congo

Building on the commitment to achieve
15 per cent fully representative protected
area (PA) cover announced by the DRC
government at CBD COP 9 in Germany in
2008, a decree was released in January
announcing the new 550,000 ha Ngiri
Triangle Nature Reserve. This new PA,
developed in consultation with local and
indigenous communities, is especially
important for migratory birds and includes
vital wetlands as well as forest, and is within
a priority transboundary conservation
complex including Lac Télé and Lac Tumba.